Leather



No. 607,623. Patented July l9, I898.

L. 1. NEU. MANUFACTURE OF SHOES on OTHER ARTICLES WHOLLY on m PART OFPATENT LEATHER.

(Application filled Jan. 9, 1X90) (No Model.)

ATTORNEY we NORRIS I 21 ERS 00.. PHoflLlTflQ, WASNKNGTON. n. c

LOUIS J. NEU, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,

AIENT union.

ASSIGNOR TO JAMES OOUSINS, JR,

OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES OR OTHER ARTICLES WHOLLY OR IN PART OFPATENT-LEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 607,623, dated July 19,1898.

Application filed January 9, 1896. Serial No- 574,910. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIs J. NEU, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in theManufacture of Shoes or otherArticles lVholly or in Part ofPatent-Leather, of which the following is a specification.

In the lasting of patent-leather shoes or shoes having patent-leathertips, particularly those having pointed toes, in the methods ofmanufacture at present in use great difficulty and loss is experiencedfrom the cracking of the enameled surface of the patentleather. Thiscracking occurs principally along the median line of the tip or-shoenear the toe. Out of a dozen pairs of shoes not unfrequently as many aseight pairs will show these cracks. This necessitates repair before theshoes are merchantable, which is usually done by saudpapering off theenameled surface of the patent-leather until the cracks are eliminated,applying a coating of collodion, and then applying upon the collodiontwo or three coats of liquid enamel, each coat being allowed to drythoroughly before another is applied. In an output of five hundred pairsof such shoes a day the labor of three men will be constantly requiredmerely to repair these cracks. My invention has been tried on manyhundred pairs of such shoes and obviates this difficulty. Further.-more, in the old process of manufacture of such shoes an excellent andexpensive quality of imported patent-leather is required to avoidexcessive cracking of the enamel in lasting. In myprocess a cheaperdomestic article may be used and will prove almost if not quite asserviceable, while cracking of the enamel will be avoided.

Briefly described, my process consists in? cementing a flexiblecrack-resisting patch of thin cloth or similar material to the enameledsurface of the leather over the place where the cracks usually occurbefore last-ing, which patch is removed at some stage of the manufactureafter the lasting, preferably when the shoe is finished.

In the drawings forming part of this specilieation, Figure 1 representsa pointed-toe shoe having a patent-leather tip finished, except that mypatch has not been removed. Fig. 2 represents the vamp of the same shoebefore the vamp is put upon the last and just after my patch has beenapplied.

A represents the vamp of the shoe, B the patent-leather tip, and C thepatch.

In carrying out my process I preferably use thin linen or cotton clothfor the patch 0. Almost any textile fabric or similar material will dothat has little stretch. Most textile fabrics stretch very little in thedirection in which the threads runthat is, lengthwise and crosswise ofthe fabricwhile they stretch much more easily on the bias. This shouldbe taken into account in cutting the patch, since it is desirable tohave a patch which will stretch as little as possible. The patch shouldtherefore preferably be cut so that the threads of the cloth, if ofcloth, run lengthwise and crosswise.

As the cracking occurs principally along the median line of the toe inlasting pointedtoe shoes, the patch should cover the median line of thetoe and reach over the end of the toe as far as is practicable, yet notso far as to be fastened in during the subsequent process of uniting thesole to the upper, as is clearly shown in the drawings. It is notnecessary to extend the pat-ch downward at all closely toward the linewherethe sides of the upper join the sole. This patch 0 is cementedtothe enameled surface of the patent-leather B While the vamp A is flatand before lasting, as shown in Fig. 2. Usually a patch one to one and ahalf inches long and about an inch at the widest and half an inch at thenarrowest part will answer. Any cement will answer which will stick thepatch firmly to the leather and keep it there during the process oflasting, provided it is such that the patch can be subsequently removedwithout injury to the enameled surface of the leather.

I have used with most satisfaction thin linen or silesia having onesurface coated I with gutta-percha tissue, the gutta-percha forming thecement. The patch having been cut of the desired size and shape, is laidupon the desired place with the gutta-percha surface in contact with theenamel of the patent leather. A warm iron is then applied to the surfaceof the cloth, which melts the guttapercha and cements the patch to theleather. The vamp is then laid aside till the guttapercha sets firmly.The vamp is then lasted in the usual manner. It is better to leave thepatch in position until the shoe is finished. Then by warming the patchgently over a flame it can be peeled off without injuring the enameledsurface of the leather, and the leather can be easily cleaned, so thatno trace of the patch remains, by wiping with a rag.

It is best to have the under surface of the patch smooth, or at leastwithout much grain, lest it mark its grain upon and thus somewhatdisfigure the enameled surface of the leather to which it is applied.

Of course my process is applicable wherever it is required to stretchpatent-leather over an approximately sharp edge in process ofmanufacturing the leather into merchandise.

Patent-leather when strained during process of manufacture intomerchandise is apt to crack if exposed while strained to sudden changeof temperature, particularly cold.

Patent-leather will not crack under these circumstances where covered bymy patch.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire topatent, is-

1. The within-described process of making articles Wholly or in part ofpatent-leather, which consists in first cementing a flexiblecrack-resisting patch upon the enameled surface of the patent-leatherWhere the enamel is liable to crack, then proceeding with themanufacture, and lastly removing the patch.

2. In the manufacture of patent-leather shoes or shoes havingpatent-leather tips, the within-described process of preventing theenamel from cracking during the process of making the shoe whichconsists in cementing a removable crack-resisting patch of suitableflexible material upon the enameled surface of the leather where theenamel is liable to crack, and permitting the same to remain attacheduntil after the shoe is lasted.

3. In the manufacture of patent-leather shoes, or shoes havingpatent-leather tips, the

within-described process of preventing the enamel from cracking, duringthe process of making the shoe, which consists in applying to theenameled surface of the patent-leather, where the enamel is liable tocrack, a removable crack-resisting patch of suitable cloth coated on theside next to the enamel with gutta-percha, heating said patch to causethe gutta-percha to adhere to the enamel, allowing said gutta-percha tocool and set, and permitting said patchto remain attached until afterthe shoe is lasted.

4. The within-described process of making merchandise frompatent-leather, free from cracks, which consists in applying to theenameled side of the leather, before it is stretched, a flexiblecrack-resisting patch coated on the side next to the enamel withgutta-percha, heating said patch to cause the gutta-percha to adhere tothe enamel, allowing said gutta-percha to cool and set, then proceedingwith the manufacture in the ordinary way, and lastly heating the patchagain and removing it from the manufactured article.

5. The within-described process of preventing patent-leather fromcracking from change of temperature during its manufacture intomerchandise which consists in first cementin g a crack-resistin g patchupon the enameled surface of the leather where the enamel is liable tocrack, then proceeding with the manufacture in the ordinary way, andlastly removing the patch before packing the merchandise for sale.

6. A shoe-vamp or the like of patent-leather having its enameltemporarily reinforced by a superposed crack-resisting patch.

7. A shoe vamp or tip of patent-leather provided with a removablecrack-resisting patch cemented to the enamel along the median line ofthe toe.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, this 8th day of January, A. D. 1896.

LOUIS J. NEU.

Witnesses:

HENRY I. WELLS, WM. OSHAUGHNEssY.

